Frostbitten
by StormyNight108
Summary: A few days with the Guardians did not melt his lone heart, and his love for silence, even when he grew tired of being ignored. Now he can't wander the streets anymore, for he can be seen, so where does that take his life? A series of drabbles of Jack's life set after the movie.
1. Racing a Rabbit

"You don't want to race a rabbit, Frostbite."

The forest was cold. Bunny was outside, looking for a boomerang he had lost. He endlessly muttered about his numb feet against the cold snow as he scanned for his weapon. It had slipped out of his hand the wrong way when he tripped, and soared out of sight. He hadn't made it far before a certain teenage guardian slipped from the branches and landed in front of him with a smile. Startled, Bunnymund took a pace back, but just as quickly flattened his ears.

Jack smirked, straightening up and twirling his staff in his right hand. He slowly paced, twirling on the balls of his feet. "Excuses from the Easter Kangaroo? What a pity. Too afraid to race-"

"Naw' hold on a minute." Bunny crossed his furry arms, growing frustrated. "Who said I was making excuses? You want a race? I'll give you a race." He smiled darkly.

Silence followed with Jack pretending to be deep in thought. He looked at the sky, rubbed the back of his neck, and silently swayed. He then whirled around to face Bunny with a child-like grin. "Alright! But there are rules!"

The giant rabbit's eyes flicked up with indifference. "What kind of rules? Does it involve me tyin' my paws together? Or blindfoldin' me?" He asked sarcastically, crossing his arms.

Jack's reply was mere laughter. He stuck the end of his staff in the snow and leaned on the crook of it. "Ah, c'mon Bunny," He motioned with his hand, "if everyone could make holes in the ground, you'd have competition out there." He caught Bunnymund look at the ground under his paws, making Jack smile. He straightened up to lay out the rules. He counted on his fingers. "No holes for you, no flying for me, and we race to the edge of the woods. Deal?"

Bunny didn't hesitate befor giving an approving smile. He stood straight up, ears flicked upwards. "A fair racer, then! Alright, you're on. But don't say I didn' warn ya mate."

Jack grinned, taking his weight off of his staff. "Perfect." He replied, calmly facing the forests. "On your go or mine?" He coyed, already beginning to stroll towards the edge of the woods to the starting line. He casted a confident glance into the woods.

Bunny seemed to smile. "You know what? Your call." He motioned with his fuzzy paw, his ears flicking with confirmation. He was going to win anyway. He'd rather have a little fun with it.

"Alright." Jack nodded his head with a smile. He twirled his staff in his hand and faced it forward. "On your mark..."

Bunny leaned down, preparing himself into a position to spring into speed. "Don't get cocky, Frostbite." He warned with a devilish smile.

"I'll keep that in mind. Get set..." He leaned closer to the snow blanketed-ground.

"Go!"

Jack swung his staff around, creating an ice path to which he skated across, keeping the crook infront of him to keep the path continuous. He let out a cry of joy, smiling at the wind flickering against the locks of his white hair. He turned his head and found Bunny beside him, paws treading through the snow with crisp speed. "C'mon, pick up the pace!" Bunny yelled the complaint with a grunt and a grin.

"I don't see you going any faster!" Jack retorted, balaning on his ice path with ease. He gave a visible shrug for emphasis, laughing all the while.

Bunny nodded with a smirk. "You'll eat your words, Frostbite." And with that, he pushed himself into top speed, ripping past Jack. The teenage guardian let out a chuckle of amusement, and twirled his staff to the side. His ice path followed, curving into the air to make a loop-ty-loop. He ripped forward, going faster until he was in sight of Bunny. With his free hand, he froze the ground beneath the pooka, watching as his paws scrambled for balance.

"Gotta keep up!" Jack grinned as he loop-ty-looped over Bunny and split forward.

Bunny collapsed to the cold ice, taking a second to catch his stolen breath. He then flicked his ears up and smiled. "So that's how ya wanna play, huh?" He twitched his whiskers. He crawled off the ice, delicately placing his paws into the cold snow, and reached for his boomerangs, twirling them in his paws. He leaned his arm back, and then shot it forward, letting the boomerang rip through the air towards Jack.

The boomerang slapped against the teen's staff, knocking it from his hand. His ice path ceased, and Jack slipped off, plummiting to the snow banks while his staff slid through the snow farther away. He tumbled forward, landing deep in the snow.

Bunny sped past him, ears flat to help his speed. He didn't give a retort or reply as he passed the other guardian. Jack sat up and brushed the snow off of him, turning his head to where his staff lay. He took a look ahead, watching as Bunny dissapeared from sight. The forest ended not much farther up.

Jack raced back and grabbed his staff. That was when he got an idea. He looked up at the swerving branches of the trees above him, and grabbed a lower branch. He climbed up to the peaks of the trees, where he could see all trees in his viewpoint. He could even see the end of the woods farther up. From there, he raced from branch to branch, eyes wide with excitement. He wasn't sure how far ahead Bunny was.

But, for this moment, he didn't care.

The teenage guardian danced across the treetops, under the full moon that shed light over the blankets of snow. Jack nimbly set each foot on each branch, careful not to slip. He wasn't sure how long he had been running before he found the edge of the forest. He could have been running for hours, or mere moments, but he knew that calling this race was worth it.

He paused at the last branch that sat at the edge of the woods, and leaped down into the snow. He shook the snow from his shoulders and looked around for Bunny. Had he won? He smiled with excitement that lasted only seconds. Bunny's figure stepped forward, paws crossed as if he had been waiting. "Like I said, Frostbite, you don't wan' to race a bunny."

Jack smiled, crossing his arms behind his neck. Even though he was out of breath, he managed to look relaxed and happy. "Nah, I liked the race. It was pretty fun." He then opened his eyes and grinned. "Doesn't mean I'll win though."

Bunnymund twitched his whiskers with a playful smile. "Then you can come an' race me wheneva' you like." He offered, giving Jack a playful punch in the shoulder. "And maybe one day, you'll even become a challenge!"


	2. Through Years of Isolation

This teenage boy may be a guardian, sworn to protect the children of the earth with his center of fun. He may be more accepted from the other guardians, and he might be seen by a handful of children.

But he still slept alone, and that's how he liked it.

300 years of isolation.

It was really overwhelming. The past few days was so overwhelming, that Jack did not show his face for quite a while. None of the guardians seemed surprised to this behavior. Besides, the weather was getting warmer, and that was when Jack hid away until he'd move on to the opposite side of the earth for their snow.

Jack didn't do much when he was alone. He'd sit in the high branches, and cast his gaze over the treetops to the town not far out. The sun crawled behind the horizon, and he smiled as he watched Sandy's dreamsand swirl through the air.

A lot of times, he'd watch the beautiful golden rays until they lulled him to sleep. But tonight, he wasn't very intent with sleeping. He stood up and stretched before taking off.

He leaped down into the snow and walked with a steady pace, knowing Samdman would be there for quite a while. Once he reached the edges of the woods, he looked at the sky, then at the village. Maybe he could visit Jamie. He'd have to hurry before Jamie fell asleep, or before Sandy put him out.

Nah, it was too late for that. So, Jack thought about visiting Sandman. He hadn't talked with the guy since the battle.

Then again, he was used to years between conversations from other people. That was his life, living alone, no one to talk to, and the simple memory of no one believing in him pained him.

He paused at the outskirts of the town, watching as Sandman's golden rays sent plesant dreams to the children.

He then found he didn't want to talk. He made himself upset from his own memories. He backed away slowly, slipping into the shadows of his forest home, and retreated to his lake.

There, he climbed up into the trees and settled on a branch, shifting to make himself comfortable. He kept his eyes closed. Three centuries of no one. Had that silence really changed from his guardian ceremony? Was there any difference to his life now?

He opened his eyes, spotting Sandy's golden sand rays spiraling over the treetops, stretching towards the guardian. It sprinkled it's golden sparkles over Jack's head, letting comfort overtake his body. _Thanks, Sandy._

Yes, his life had changed. Sure, he lived alone, but now he had friends. That was the last thing that came to his mind before he let Sandy's dust put him to sleep with a plesant dream.

_I apologize for such a short chapter, but I had to write it out XD The next ones will be longer. Thank you for the follows, faves, and reviews!_


	3. Good to Have a Friend

The lake was his canvas.

His staff was the brush.

And with one little touch, he turned what dragged himself into death into something beautiful.

He remembered doing this sometimes when he felt that urge to create something. He stood at the edge of the lake, pondering what he could draw. This was one of the few hobbys he did on his own. It was days like this that he felt blessed with the powers of ice, and not fire. Fire would have been extremely difficult to draw with.

He got an idea. He smiled and leaned his staff to the ice and took off, blading over the ice, creating lines of sparkling ice across the lake. It didn't take much to excite the boy, and he learned to enjoy little things like this. This moment when he could create something beautiful.

After a few minutes, he stopped to admire his work. A sleigh was neatly drawn on the iced-over lake, bringing Jack to the memories when Jamie went on his wild sleigh ride. He couldn't really do that anymore, now that he wasn't invisible to the kid and his friends. But there were many places

"Wow!"

Jack flipped around. There, at the edge of the lake in the shadows sat Jamie, hugging his knees and watching with amazement.

"Hey Jamie!" Jack greeted with a grin, walking over his drawing towards the kid. "What are you doing out here? The sun is already setting and the village is quite a ways out."

"I went exploring, and I found you here!" Jamie smiled, and Jack noticed the tooth he had lost beginning to grow back.

The guardian laughed and sat down next to him. "Nice to see you again. Welcome to my home."

"You live here?" Jamie asked curiously. Jack detected a hint of sadness in Jamie's voice. "It's really quiet here."

"That's just how I like it." Jack crossed his arms and leaned back, laying down in the cold snow.

"Does it ever get lonely?"

Jack didn't reply right away. He repeated this question in his head, trying to search for an answer. /Of course it gets lonely. I've lived like this for three centuries./

As much as he felt like dumping, he reminded himself Jamie was only a child, and he didn't want to see him stressed over it. "Nah." Jack replied. "The moon's always in the sky, and I can go visit the other guardians when I feel like it."

Jack hoped this reassured his friend, but the kid frowned at the teenager as it debating whether to belive him or not. Jamie said nothing, and only looked at the sled that was painted on the lake. "What are you thinking?" Jack asked.

"What?" Jamie asked, looking at his friend.

"I know you're thinking about saying something."

"How did you know?"

"It's not by power, if that's what you think." Jack grinned. "People just know."

Jamie frowned, then looked at the snow under him. "I don't think you're telling the truth." He murmered, but quickly jumped in as if not to offend the guardian. "I mean- I just- I don't understant how you could live here and not be lonely."

Jack watched him for a moment, then ruffled Jamie's hair with his cold hands. "You're smarter than you look, Jamie." Jack admired. He then sighed. "I do get lonely here." He admitted.

"Then come stay with me!" Jamie jumped to the idea.

Jack shook his head. "No thanks, Jamie."

"But you just said you were lonely here!" Jamie frowned. "You can stay in our guest room, and we'll hide from mom! We'll play every day, and you-"

"Jamie." Jack interrupted. He felt touched that the child cared, but it just wasn't going to happen. "I am lonely here, but I still love it. This is my home. I'm in the open, surrounded by snow and ice, and this place has a lot of history for me."

Jamie watched him for a few seconds, unsure of how to respond. For a moment, he hoped Jack would share a story about this place, but the longer he stared, the more Jack seemed thoughtful for his friend.

"Hey don't worry about it." Jack ruffled his hair again. Jamie giggled. "I'll still visit sometimes, don't worry." He promised with a smile. Jamie reminded him a lot of his sister.

Now reassured, the boy stood up with a smile. "Cool! Thanks, Jack."

"Here, I'll take you home." Jack offered, grabbing the boy's hand and lifting him into the air without waiting for an okay. Jamie gasped as his feet left the ground, looking down.

"Whoah..."

"Hold on tight." Jack smiled. He took off through the cold night, holding on to Jamie's hand. Jack could hear the boy's amazement through his yells of excitement. He could already see Sandy's golden dreams slithering through the sky. Flying at slow speed for Hamie, he reached the town within minutes. He flew to his bedroom window, and opened it with his free hand.

"Thanks Jack!" Jamie grinned.

"No problem. Get some sleep." Jack ruffled his hair, watching one of his only friends cross the room to his bed and slide under the covers. Jack vanished before Jamie could look back. It wasn't like it was a last goodbye.

_Hey guys, I'll take requests for drabbles. I'm getting weaker and bleaker with bland ideas. I need some inspiration, lol._


	4. Stubborn Fighter

It did get lonely, Jack had to admit it. On the days he felt like doing something, he really didn't have anywhere to go. He thought about visiting North or something. Maybe break in and scare the russian. Yeah, that'd be fun. Though to be honest, Jack had never successfuly broken into North's home.

But hey, there was a first for everything!

Jack had flown the majority of the way, but decided to walk for a while. A forest coated in snow just welcomed him into a nice walk. What was the rush? He took it easy, smiling as he strolled through the snowy woods that lead to North's place.

He planned out what he would do. What could he do in North's home without being seen? Prank a yeti, steal a few toys, maybe take a ride on his sled! He pranced through the forests, excitement clear now.

He closed his eyes, smiling as he imagined a free ride on North's sleigh. He'd go even faster than when he flew! He opened his eyes, and he could already see North's home in the distance.

Something was nearby.

It came to Jack as if he had been slapped in the face. He whipped around, scanning the snow and dead undergrowth around him. Nothing moved, nothing breathed, and it only scared him more.

He knew something was nearby. He could feel it. He stood, facing away from North's home, and held his staff at ready. Pitch? No way, he wouldn't be back for quite a while. But someone was watching him.

Jack thought about pushing his paranoia down to continue walking to North's. It was only up the hill. Maybe North was watching him.

It was during his deep thoughts that a wolf broke through the snow with a loud bark, knocking against Jack and pinning the teenager to the ground.

Now, Jack had dealt with wolves many times before. He could never defeat one without escaping with a few scratches and cuts, but he always managed to overpower one and get away. He was no stranger to fighting a wild animal. The wolf snapped it's jaws in front of Jack's face while he used his forearm to hold him back.

Something tugged at his neck. He turned his head to see another wolf yanking at his hood. Panic fluttered in him. He had fought two wolves before, but barely escaped with his skin in-tact. And now he was facing two wild animals.

The second wolf continued to tug at his hoodie while the first focused on biting Jack. The teenager tried to spin out of the way, but the second wolf held him down by his hood. Jack brought his staff around and slammed it against the first wolf's head.

Two more wolves attacked.

Now he was terrified. He scrambled to get up, kicking the second wolf in attempt to make him let go. The wolf only tugged harder. Jack managed to get his hands on the wolf's jaws as the other two wolves attacked. One chomped his shoulder, the other tried to bite his neck, even though Jack used his forearm to keep him back. His staff had been knocked fom his hand.

He cried out for help once the wolf biting his shoulder began to rip the skin apart. He wasn't sure if anyone could hear him, but one of North's yetis had to be outside. Possibly.

He cried out again and kicked the wolf in the gut. He had no free hands to pry his jaws off of his shoulder. He was still pinned by his hoodie, and the other wolf was intent on biting him even though he was holding him off. He tried to kick the wolf again, kicking as hard as he could. His jaws finally released Jack's shoulder, and he let out a gasp of pain, closing his eyes. The first wolf had regained it's conciousness, and now leapt onto Jack, biting down on his arm. His other arm began to falter under the weight of the wolf.

One biting his arm, another close to his neck, one biting his hoodie, and the other chomping his teeth into his leg. He cried out again, his strength falling. His shoulder burned horribly. He finally tried to sit up, wrenching his arms to get away from the wolves. He used his last ounce of energy to attempt to free himself from the wolves, and failed. He turned over, and collapsed in the snow, giving up.

"Crimeny! That's Frostbite!"

"Hold on Jack!"

He opened his eyes. Two figures raced towards him. He could recognize those two anywhere. North drew his swords, nearing the wolves with great speed (considering his weight), and Bunny! When did he get here? He drew his boomerangs and threw them with lightning speed, hitting two of the wolves square in the heads.

Jack was losing it. He was growing dizzy, and he couldn't keep his eyes open. His injuries burned as the remaining wolves continued to attack him. He couldn't hold onto conciousness long enough to watch Bunny and North begin their fight.

North swung his sword, the flat part ramming into the side of the wolf holding Jack's leg. The wolf hesitated, but didn't let go until North gave him a cut to the shoulder. The wolf let go, ears flattening as he backed away. Bunny leaped onto the one holding Jack's arm and pried the wolf's jaws open. He then kicked the gray wolf away with his powerful legs. The other two were easy to fight off, for they had seen the other wolves get attacked and grew wary. Bunny pulled out a boomerang and released it, letting it slap against one of the wolfs. "Get lost ya little devils!" Bunny snapped, stepping in front of Jack's unconcious body. The remaining wolves glanced at each other before fleeing. Bunny picked up his boomerang as he watched the predators retreat, and slowly turned around.

North crouched beside the bloody teenager. Bunny watched from where he stood, horrified. Jack looked dead from where Bunnymund stood. But within a few seconds, Jack opened his eyes, only to shut them again in a wince.

"Hey Frostbite." Bunny greeted softly. "What happened?"

Jack sat up. North insisted that he rest, but Jack refused it quickly. Was that embarassment on his face? The teenager took a second to gather his voice. "Just came out... for walk... where's my staff?" He suddenly asked, looking around for it.

Bunnymund made his way to where the staff lay on the ground, and picked up the piece of wood. He studied it for a moment before handing it back to Jack. He took the staff and stuck the bottom into the ground, using it as a cane to stand up.

"Jack, you need rest." North insisted in his thick russian accent.

"No, I'm fine." Jack winced.

"You're not bloody fine, mate." Bunny crossed his paws. "You just got attacked by four devils that could have killed you. And you're welcome." Bunnymund growled, flattening his ears.

Jack didn't take the hint to thank them. He instead began to limp away, trying to keep himself from groaning with each step. "Stubborn." Bunnymund scoffed.

Jack heard it, but he said nothing as he shamefully limped away, embarassed from having to be protected.

_Running out of inspiration gahhhh *dying* I mean it when I say I'll take requests! I encourage it! Please? XD_


	5. A Birthday Surprise

_Request by Miss Effie T_

It was a quiet day. A day to be calm, a day to relax, a day like... well... every day. Jack swung from his tree branch, looking over his lake with a sigh. Another birthday spent around his lake. Alone. He didn't have much memory of his past, but he knew his past birthdays had been spent with family and friends.

He wondered if the other Guardians knew about his birthday. Of course they did, he had told them before, so why was everyone so silent? He frowned, letting go of his branch and landing in the thick snow below, grunting. No, it's fine, he spent three hundred birthdays alone, and he wouldn't let it get to him this year.

Jack scooped up his staff and held it in his lap. He sat like this for a while, staring at the lake in silence. He leaned against a tree and closed his eyes.

"Jack? Jack!" Came a little voice.

The guardian lifted his head. Out of the snow came little Jamie, panting. He kept one hand on his knee while he leaned against a tree with the other as he paused.

"Hey Jamie! What's up?" Jack asked with a smile.

"A-K-Kid-" Jamie paused to catch his breath. "A kid fell through the ice in the river on the other side of the town!"

Jack jumped up, the snow avalanching off of his clothing. "What?"

"H-hurry!"

Jack grabbed Jamie with his free hand and took off, soaring through the trees with as much speed as he dared with the kid in his arms. Caught by surprise, Jamie let out a "Whoah!" And clutched Jack's hoodie with part fright and excitement.

For some reason, Jack's mind drifted to his sister Pippa, that day she had almost fallen in. He had saved her then, and he hoped he could reach this other kid in time.

He stopped, floating over the river with Jamie in his arms. He found no spots where the ice had broken, no screaming, just silence.

"Do you know where?" Jack asked Jamie.

Jamie hesitated. "Over there!" He pointed. Jack raced in the direction, landing in the snow bank and setting Jamie down. He scanned the river, finding no spot where a kid had fallen in. Nonetheless, he stepped onto the ice and looked under through the ice. He tapped the ice with his staff, trying to figure out how someone could fall into this without it breaking.

"Are you sure, Jamie? I don't see any-" He turned his head. Jamie dissapeared. "Jamie?" He asked, eyes widening. Straightening up, he scanned around, unable to find the little boy. "Jamie...?" He began to panic.

"Happy birthday!"

Jack took a step back, eyes widening with confusion. The four guardians stepped out from the shadows, followed by the handful of kids who had first believed in Jack. The kids raced forward, including Jamie, and gave the teenager a hug. A few yetis stepped out with a few elves, and they let out mini confetti cannons. Overwhelmed by quick attention, Jack's face remained questioning and startled, too frozen to hug the children back.

"Happy birthday, kid." Bunny nodded his head.

"Happy birthday, Jack!" Tooth gave him a hug after the children let go, and the babytooths hugged him with her.

"Happy birthday!" North gave him a shoulder punch.

Sandy smiled, waving.

Jack snapped out of his trance and gave a smile. The first birthday party for him in three centuries. His smile grew wide, and his eyes sparkled. He looked down as Jamie gave him another hug. "Sorry I lied, Jack!" He apologized, looking up at the teenager with innocent eyes. "But I got you a gift!"

Jack stared at him. "A...a gift?" He echoed, mystified. When was the last time he had gotten a gift? He couldn't recall. Jamie handed him a box wrapped in blue wrapping paper, and held it up cerimoniously to the guardian. Jack stared at it a moment before taking it in his cold hands.

"Open it!" Jamie insisted.

Jack turned the box sideways and ripped apart the paper. A shoebox held heavy contents. The guardians, children, yetis and elves all watched as Jack slowly opened it and lifted the object out. It was small, hard, and shaped like his staff.

"We were doing art projects in school with clay, and I made your staff!" Jamie grinned, eyes wide with excitement as he watched the guardian's reaction.

Jack smiled even wider, holding the mini staff in free his hand. He crouched down to Jamie's eye level. "This looks great, Jamie!" He admired. He put on a playful face. "Did you get a good grade?" He laughed.

Jamie dug the edge of his shoe into the ground. "...I got a D. The teacher said I should have made something more creative than a stick. I told her it was a magic staff but she didn't believe me!"

Jack hugged Jamie, and the boy hugged him back while the teenage guardian laughed. "Well, I love it. Thank you Jamie." He said with a smile, suddenly realizing he was probably freezing the poor child. He let go, finding Jamie slightly shivering, but trying to hide it.

"You're welcome!" He smiled. "Happy birthday!"

_Thank you for all of the requests everyone! I now have quite a few ideas, and I may do them a little out of order, but I'll most likely get around to all of them! And I might make a sequal to "Stubborn Fighter" later on, thanks for the idea! I won't be taking any more requests for now, but stick around and I might re-open them later!_


	6. Rescue Mission

_Requested by Illuminati-4_

"Thanks for coming so quickly, Jack!"

"Uh, no problem, but why am I here?"

Tooth turned away from the teenager a moment to direct a few babytooths to the right countries. Jack stuck a hand in his hoodie pocket and held his staff, patiently watching them. Once the babytooths took off, Tooth turned back around to Jack. "Because a babytooth is missing." She explained quickly. "She hasn't reported back at all and I'm worried, but I and the other babytooths are far too busy to go look for her in groups, and I certainly don't want one going alone. I need you to go find her, she went to Peru for Maria Lenson's first tooth."

Jack nodded, not exactly sure where that was. Indicating his confusion, she turned her head. "I'll let this little friend of yours come with you to show you the way." She lifted her hand, and the tiny humming-bird like creature sped towards Jack and gave him a hug as big as the little creature could give.

"Hey babytooth!" Jack greeted his old friend, smiling down at him as he clutched his hoodie in the hug. It was the same babytooth from during the war against Pitch.

The little hummingbird chirped back. Tooth and Jack exchanged a glance and he nodded. "We'll go have a look. Be back soon!" He promised, turning to take off with babytooth.

"Be careful!" Tooth called after them.

Jack took to the sky, following his little friend as he led the way. Babytooth turned his head and gave a cheerful chirp. "Glad to see you again too!" He smiled. "Let's go rescue your friend."

At their speed, it didn't take long before they were above South America. They flew in silence until they reached the quiet night over Peru, and babytooth paused to take a look.

"So, do you know where we're going?" Jack asked, watching the babytooth zip side to side as he scanned the city below. He turned his head, nodded, and then shot downwards. "Whoah, hold on!" Jack called, zipping after him.

The babytooth, intent on finding his friend, kept his gaze forward and didn't look away from his goal. Jack kept up as best as he could, dodging objects left and right.

It was then that Jack saw the fearling.

He had turned his head, and a flutter of panic raced through him. He stopped, putting a hand on the building he fluttered beside. _No. Stay calm, Jack. He won't attack unless you get scared._ He thought, though his heart began to race at quick speed.

The fearling lifted his head, and Jack raced away, in the direction his friend had gone. He hadn't gone far; Jack spotted him racing into the window of a building. He leaped into the air and hovered to the small window the child had. He pushed thoughts of the fearling away to focus on his mission.

"See anything?" Jack whispered as he scanned the room. He spotted a girl with dark curly hair tucked into her blankets, breathing slowly. Golden sand danced above her head to project her dreams.

The babytooth zipped around the room, looking for any area his friend could be, but had no luck. He turned to Jack and shook his head sadly.

Babytooth froze. "What?" Jack asked quietly. The little creature floated over to the window over Jack's shoulder and peered into the street. Jack turned his head.

The fearling he had seen moments ago was now closer, pacing the street under him. Jack stepped back to hide out of it's view, but Babytooth crept closer.

Jack reached to grab his friend, being careful not to squish him, and pulled him into the room. The babytooth, snapped out of his trance, began to chirp at Jack with a look of distress.

"What? What is it?" Jack asked, silently asking for a better way to communicate.

The babytooth rolled his eyes and grabbed Jack by his hoodie string, tugging him towards the window. He began to chirp wildly again before pointing to the fearling. No, he was pointing to the fearling's stomache. Inside, a blue-green little animal fluttered around, terrified.

"The fearling has the babytooth." Jack muttered in disbelif. He twirled his staff. "We can rescue her. But you can't be afraid, alright?" He looked at babytooth, who nodded his head in determination. "Alright. Let's do this."

A surprise attack was the first option that came to Jack's mind. He whipped his staff around and ice-zapped the fearling, who seemed to have sensed it, and sidestepped out of the way. Jack then leaped from the window with a grunt, letting his staff make contact and begin to freeze the fearling.

The babytooth inside of him began to fret, zipping this way and that while Jack's friend floated beside the transparent belly and tried to calm her. The nightmare bucked, trying to land a strong kick to Jack, who leaped out of the way. He took his staff and hooked the fearling's front legs with the crook of it, catching the animal off balance.

The fearling whinnied, his nostrils flaring with discontent. He tried to bite Jack, who swung his staff around and froze half of the nightmare's face. Determined to win this fight, the fearling landed a strong hoof to Jack's stomache, knocking the wind out of him. He flew backwards, clutching his stomache and gasping for the breath he had lost.

Babytooth let out a strong chirp and raced to the head of the fearling. He grabbed the fearling's ear and held on while the horse bucked and whinnied, trying to shake the little creature.

Once Jack was able to breathe again, he quickly swung his staff around to freeze the distracted nightmare. He froze with one hoof in the air, and with a sharp smack, the fearling broke apart, it's sand breaking through the ice and slithering away. The little babytooth, now freed, flew over to the other babytooth and they exchanged a hug. They both turned towards Jack as he slowly stood up. Both babytooths fluttered over to the teenage guardian.

"Nice work." Jack breathlessly thanked him. He held up his hand, recieving a high-five. The female babytooth then came forward and hugged Jack with a small chirp. Jack smiled. "You alright?" He asked, getting a nod in return. "Do you have the tooth?" The babytooth smiled, holding up her tiny hands to show the little pearly tooth. "Let's get you home, then." Jack smiled.


	7. Speak

_Requested by a quite a few of you, mixed with a request from isthisparadise. Sequal to Stubborn Fighter._

"Now hold on, Jack!" North's russian accent echoed forward as he walked after the limping boy. Jack didn't turn his head, slowly trudging through the snow with blood dripping from his open wounds. The wolves had done a good amount of damage.

Jack bit his tounge to hold back a groan, feeling pain flutter up his hurt leg.

Bunny followed slowly, scoffing with impatience. He got on his paws and raced after him, swerving to block his path. Jack had no choice but to hault, masking the pain in his expression. "Now hang on." He flattened his ears. "Where's the shame in getting healed? Come back with us to North's and we'll get you all fixed up."

Bunny knew that if Jack refused again, he'd give up and let him go do what he wants. He wasn't one to particularly push compassion on others. Especially on someone he was never very fond of. But as Jack lifted his head, opening his mouth to answer, his eyes flickered with pain and his legs gave out. Bunny's irritated expression turned to startlement as he caught the teenage boy before he sunk into the snow.

The snow above had began to rage, and Bunny looked up to North through the thick fog. "Bring him up. I'll get some of the yetis to gather some medical supplies." He ordered, casting a wary look to the unconcious teen. Bunny nodded, happy to not have to think of a solution, and scooped Jack into his large paws. Jack's head swayed to the side, eyes closed.

The yetis frantically searched for the medical supplies once North had given the word. Bunny came inside not long after, with Jack stirring in his arms. North reached out, taking the boy from Bunnymund. "Go get Sandy; Jack needs rest. And go ahead and get Tooth here. Don't want to leave her out of this." The russian ordered, exchanging a nod with Bunny.

After Bunny had dissapeared through his rabbit hole, North carried the blood-soaked boy to an idle room, laying him down in the spare bed. Once North had stepped back, Jack's eyes snapped open.

Jack's head swayed, giving a slight cough. "Wh...what happ..."

His eyes, unfocused, watched North as he called for the yetis with the supplies. "Rest, Jack." North ordered softly, motioning with his hand.

It all came back to Jack. He sat up, much to North's dismay, and looked around for his staff. "Lay down, Jack." North repeated, but Jack ignored him. He suddenly winced, clutching the sheets between his fingers and dipping his head with a grunt. His body burned with pain.

"Why won't you let us help?" North pleaded for an answer.

Jack turned his pain-stricken face away. He groaned again, shrinking in his own skin. North, feeling helpless, frowned at the boy with worry.

It was then that Bunny entered the room with Sandy and Tooth. There was no hesitation to Bunnymund's order. "Take him out, Sandy." Bunny muttered.

Jack's eyes snapped open with alarm, turning his head. "Wha...?"

Sandy lifted his small hands, forming his sand together. He threw the created ball of sleep sand at the bloody boy, knocking him out cold. He collapsed back into the bed, falling fast asleep.

Once the room fell silent, Tooth rushed forward. "Oh my gosh, what on earth happened to him?" She asked desperately, eyes flickering with worry as she scanned him over.

"Wolves." North answered bluntly, looking at the floor.

"We saved his ungreatful life, much to his own dissapointment!" Bunny's ears flattened as he shot Jack a glare.

"I don't understand..." Tooth frowned, pausing her fluttering and putting her feet on the floor. Sandy's expression mirrored Tooth's confusion.

"He didn't want our help." North crossed his large tatooed arms. He shrugged, throwing a sympathetic eye to the boy. "Doesn't matter now. Elves and yetis can fix him up." The russian sighed. "Thanks Sandy."

A few hours had passed. The guardians, not exactly sure what to do, lingered in the room and hallways while Jack was getting fixed up. They didn't have the heart to leave the boy, and wanted to help in any way they could. Even Bunnymund did what he could to help. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but seeing the boy like this was sickening. If he were around the guardians, he would stick his ears down and pretend not to care. Hey, why lose a reputation? But as soon as no one looked, Bunnymund turned a sympathetic look to the boy he had raced with only days ago. He wondered if the wounds were enough to take the boy's life.

And why was Jack refusing help?

The question nagged not only Bunny, but North as well. The large man sat in the corner of the room, watching Jack with a fixed expression. He was confused, and terrified for the boy's life. He needed to talk to him.

Once Jack had been fully clensed and bandaged, he looked more like himself. It wasn't a chore to look at him anymore, and he had already begun to stir. The four guardians came to his side as he opened his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Tooth asked quietly, a mother-like tone in her voice.

Jack scanned each oftheir faces, remaining silent. His gaze flickered. Rememberence flooded his mind and he sat up. North reached out to push the boy back down, but Jack refused it as respectfully as he could. He turned to get up.

"Jack, what's wrong?" Tooth asked, fluttering to the other side of him.

Jack lowered his gaze. "Thank you, but I'm fine." He muttered. He stood up, overestimating the bandaged leg. He winced, startled as his leg buckled, and he fell to the floor. Sandy and North were nearest, and reached down to help Jack get up.

"You are not fine." Bunnymund snapped, ears flattening. "What is your problem?"

"My problem?" Jack narrowed his eyes, sitting on the side of the bed with North and Sandy's aid.

"Yeah, your problem." Bunny leaned towards his face with a cold expression. "You know what you're doing. What's with you?"

"What's with me? What's with me is I've been on my own for three hundred years, and when I got hurt I didn't need anyone's help. I didn't _have_ anyone's help." Jack began, voice low with anger. "When I was hurt, I had no one. _No one. _I fended for myself and I turned out fine."

Jack raised his voice, clutching the bedsheets. He shut his eyes. "I lived alone for _three. Hundred. Years. _Taking care of myself! No one ever helped me! All of you lived your lives with a goal, people to talk to, you were believed in..." He opened his eyes, meeting Bunny's shocked gaze. Jack didn't regret a word. "I was alone, abandoned, no memories to cherish, no friends to talk with, nothing to do but make it snow. When I got hurt, I took care of myself because no one else cared enough about me. Or they were too busy looking right through me." Dejected, he wanted to stand up and walk away. But the guardians were gathered around him, and his leg was screaming with pain. Nonetheless, he turned his head away at his last words, unable to take the gazes of all four guardians. "...Why should it change now?"

It didn't come out as a question. It came out more as a fact. The guardians in the room all watched with shocked expressions, each exchanging glances of sadness. Bunnymund straightened up, getting out of Jack's face, and rubbed the back of his neck with his large paw. He opened his mouth as if he were about to make a response, but he couldn't find the right words. He stared at Jack blankly, stepping away awkwardly.

But North's words were in his mind. He reached forward and put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Jack." He muttered. At his voice, Jack raised his head. His eyes, tear-filled and threatening to leak, were sparkling under the light of the room. The last thing Jack wanted to happen was threatening; the tears. "I am truly, truly sorry for how we've treated you in the past. How _I've_ treated you in the past." He muttered, knowing Jack was listening with close attention. "I can't imagine the suffering you've been through. I deeply apologize."

"As do I, mate." Bunny choked out, nodding as Jack tore his gaze from North to look at Bunny.

"And I do too." Tooth sniffled, whiping her eyes.

Sandy stepped towards Jack, looking up at him and giving a small smile. Jack couldn't resist returning his small smile, and let out a soft laugh. "I've never had friends before." He started. "I'm... I'm sorry. This is still so... new to me. Having friends who care about me." He closed his eyes. "Thank you. For everything. You guys are more than I deserve. I'm really sorry..."

North smiled under his thick beard. "It's alright Jack. Friends, always be there for you. Don't ever be afraid to come to us for help." The russian nodded.

Jack returned the nod. "I won't." He promised.

"Now get some sleep. You'll be better soon." North promised.

Jack nodded. He blinked a few times to chase his angry tears away, and laid back down in the bed. He winced a few times, his injuries burning, but curled over in a somewhat comfortable position. North smiled before herding the guardians out the door, keeping silent. But not before Sandy was able to throw a line of dream sand in Jack's direction, letting him fall into a restful, painless sleep.

_I got so carried away with this it isn't even funny. I'm glad it was requested, I really enjoyed writing this. Hope you like it c:_


	8. One Night's Sleep

_Requested by isthisparadise. Again. Because her ideas are freakin awesome. But don't worry, I have plenty of other ideas on my request list that I will do very soon._

_This drabble is freaking LONG. And it's seperated into two parts. Which, at first, I decided against. But man, I wrote to the end of this and just kept writing, and I'm like... this is way too long for a drabble. I'm going to lose everyone's attention! So I seperated it into two. I apologize for not updating, but I've set my heart on this drabble, and wouldn't write anymore until I at least had the first part done._

It was a perfect day for sledding. Early december, fresh cold snow, and the sky forecasted more on the way. It were these kind of days that children loves, as well as a certain teenage guardian.

Jack Frost wasn't in the town by his lake. He was instead a few states over, wandering the streets with his hands in his hoodie pockets. His eyes were sharp for children, trying to spot any he could play with. "Anyone up for a little fun?" He smiled, lifting his head. Just as he had hoped, a group of children walked through the snow with sleds in their hands.

Jack smiled. Why walk when you could enjoy the journey to your destination? He already had an idea of where they were heading; there were a few hills outside of this town that children loved to sled on.

As he approached, he became aware none of these children believed in him, or they would have glanced up at him. But it made no difference at the moment. He whipped up a little of his magic, and let the children trip forward onto his ice, landing belly first on their sleds.

The children let out a chorus of "Whoah!" as Jack began their ride. He flew over them, creating a continuous path for their enjoyment. The children, startled at first, began to smile with excitement.

Jack looked ahead, smiling. He had rarely ever done more than one sled on an icepath before. He counted the children, four, and made sure to keep his path wide enough for all of them. It wouldn't be long until the icepath took them out of the city.

A bent in his path.

Barely noticable.

Jack turned over and flew on his back, watching the sky. He smiled, folding his hands behind his neck in a relaxing position. The children let out excited yelps as they sledded down the sidewalk. This was the life, relaxing with the sound of excited children filling the air.

The bent in the path.

The child on the very end of the sidewalk ice-path had veered. The bent in the path redirected his sled's direction. The blonde-haired boy swerved onto the busy road, letting out a startled cry. At first, oblivious to the danger, he smiled, but as his sled began to slow down on the road, panic started and he let out a yell, scrambling to get up.

Jack heard this scream and haulted his path, letting the children stop on their ride. He flew upright, glancing downwards at the child in the road. An oncoming car turned the corner, unaware of the boy. "Wait! Wait no!" Jack cried out, getting his staff ready to make a block of ice to put between the car and boy. But he hadn't even swung his staff around fast enough before it was too late.

Car tires screeched.

The other three children gasped.

Frozen, Jack descended, letting his feet touch the ground. But his weight would not hold him. Instead, he fell to his knees.

The child lay on the road, the car half-over him as if ready to swallow him. The driver stepped out, rushing to the boy's side and kneeling beside him.

Jack only stared, eyes wide. The other three children rushed towards their friend, leaving Jack alone on the sidewalk. His eyes began to water, and he sat on his knees. He put his hands in his lap, laying the staff sideways. "I... I'm so sorry..." He muttered, looking at the sidewalk. "This is all my fault..."

Jack couldn't move. His head felt like a radio station, a thousand voices cluttering his mind with no idea what to feel. He covered his face with his hand, his stomache knotting with distress. He sat like this, minutes passing like hours. An ambulance sounded down the street.

Jack clenched his fists, shutting his eyes. The sky above him had already begun to darken. He suddenly got to his feet and fled, taking flight and dissapearing from the scene.

This was when the blizzards began. Jack lay on a branch that hovered over his lake, and his arm swung off the side, clutching his staff. The heavy snow fell against him, and he did nothing to take shelter. He sat like this for a full day, slipping in and out of sleep. "I am the reason he lost his life..." Jack muttered to himself, springing tears in his eyes. "He died because of me."

Jack didn't get up. All his anger, sadness, and frustration directed to the blizzards above. Another day, he laid like this, letting the blizzards rage. A coat of snow sat on the boy, and he didn't have the heart to brush it off.

Silence.

_I killed an innocent boy._

At some times of the day, he'd clench his fists and make the blizzards stronger, taking out his anger on the world under him. Once his anger wore away, he'd cry, releasing the tension in his hands and relaxing the blizzard the slightest bit. The world felt like it was crumbling to pieces on Jack's shoulders. He couldn't get the image of the boy out of his mind.

People around the area became miserable at the blizzard that continued for days. Jack hadn't moved from this spot. At first, it was because of his lack of willpower. But as another day passed, he found that his strength had left him. He hung limply on the branch, unable to take in what he had done.

He had lost count after seven days. He was thankful he didn't need to eat. He lay there, his strength slipping with every snowflake falling from the blizzard.

"Ay Frostbite!"

Jack didn't need to lift his head to recognize who was there. Bunnymund's large paws were hard to hear through the thick blizzard, but his voice was recognizable. He sounded irritated. "You think you could stop with the blizzards already?"

"Why do you care!" Jack yelled through the blizzard, his voice broken from being unused. He closed his eyes with frustration.

"Where are you?" Bunny yelled upwards, trying to locate the boy. "Come down here so I can hear ya better!"

Jack didn't answer. "Frost?" Bunny yelled up.

"Just go away!" Jack yelled, turning his head over. He spotted the pooka in the corner of his eye, walking slowly through the snow.

Bunny continued to scan the treetops. "Not until you stop with the bloody blizzards! North sent me to tell ya! The sleigh can't fly right!"

Jack suddenly became furious. At himself, at Bunny, at North, North's sleigh, the boy, his friends, and all Jack wanted to do at the moment was scoop up a snowball, turn it into ice, and let it smack into Bunny's head. But he couldn't move his arms. He couldn't move his legs. He couldn't sit up. He was beyond exhaustion.

Jack clenched his fingers into his palm. That was the only movement he could do besides turn his head. Bunnymund got closer, finally spotting the boy among the branches. Bunny could just make out his pale face, squinting his eyes to make him out. "There you are ya little-" He broke off, watching the boy more closely. He did not look like himself at all.

"You alright, Frostbite?" Bunny asked suspiciously.

Jack closed his eyes, getting overwhelmed by his own memories. His eyes threatened tears again, and he clenched his fists. "Get lost."

Bunny hesitated, lingering where he stood. He had imagined this going a lot better. He finally turned and raced out of sight to Jack, leaving the sickly teenage boy where he lay.

* * *

"North!"

The heavy russian turned his head away from his conversation with Tooth. The yetis walked back and forth aroud them, blocking North from view of the voice. But soon enough, Bunny weaved through the workers, pausing in front of the two and straightening up. North felt relieved to see him. "Did you get Jack to stop?" North asked, seeming to already know it was yes. But as Bunny hesitated, North gave him a confused look, turning his full attention to the pooka.

"No." He answered. "There's something wrong with him." Bunnymund, crossing his large fuzzy arms, spoke with a slightly worried tone.

"Something's wrong with him? Like what?" Tooth asked curiously, glancing at North. A slither of worry poked through her eyes.

"I-I don't know how to explain it." Bunny started, trying to find the right words. "Depressed comes to mind, but I think that's an understatement. He didn't move at all when I spoke to him, either." He said, not really sure what to think of his behavior.

North stroked his beard, silent as he tried to put this together. "Christmas day is in a week. He couldn't possibly have two and a half weeks of blizzard inside him, could he?"

"I don't know, he seems capable enough." Tooth pointed out. "Maybe you should go talk to him, North."

North nodded after a moment of thought. "I agree. I want you two coming with me though. Stay back at first, and let me try alone."

* * *

"It's all my fault. It's all my fault. My fault... my fault..."

Jack wasn't aware of when he began to mutter these words. He just knew he was slipping in and out of restless sleep with these words on his tounge. After being alone with his thoughts for a few days, he had to let them into the air. Each mutter made the blizzard stronger, if that was even possible. The village nearby must feel like the world is turning to crap. That's what Jack felt like, anyway, why not let his mind drift with the snowflakes?

"Jack?"

"My fault... my fault..."

"Jack!"

"He was up there last I saw him. Yep, he hasn't moved."

"Hey Jack!"

"My fault..."

North put his hands on his sides, looking up at the boy with worried eyes. The blizzard was too strong to pick up Jack's murmmers. He glanced at Tooth and Bunny, then motioned for them to step back. North stepped forward, so that he was under the branch. "Jack! I need to talk with you."

Jack turned his head to the side, his muttering slowly fading off into nothing. His eyes spotted North alone. How could he not see him? The red and black coat stood out against the pearly white snow.

"Jack? Can you hear me?" North called up.

Jack couldn't respond. He couldn't even let out a groan. He felt as if a forty ton weight was being pressed against his chest. He closed his eyes, tired once again, but unable to slip into a peaceful sleep.

North turned around and gave a 'what-now?' shrug to Tooth and Bunny. Tooth stepped forward, wondering if it was safe to fly up there with all the wind. She finally walked to the base of the tree and clutched a branch, using her wings to climb while holding on to the tree so she wouldn't float away. North and Bunny watched, growing concerned with each second.

Tooth stopped at the branch where Jack laid on. He was more pale than usual, with tired eyes and a sickly air to him. "Jack? Hello?" Tooth muttered worridly, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Jack grew dizzy. His head nodded with sleep, and he grew nautious. Exhausted, he opened his eyes and stared at Tooth hovering over him. He felt too tired to reply. The world jerked, suddenly spinning as Tooth tried to shake him from this trance. "Jack, please..." Tooth begged, trying to wake him.

The branch wasn't thick. Jack only remained in place by his thin figure and good balance. But as Tooth tried to shake him, his balanced body slipped, gravity doing the rest. He slipped with an involuntary yell, and Tooth gasped, reaching forward to try and grab him.

Jack was caught by Santa's large arms. The world jerked, spun, and haulted within two seconds. Jack's eyes closed and his head fell against North's coat, too heavy to move. So Jack stayed in this position, unable and unwilling to move.

North's gaze flickered to Jack's face, and a look of worry crossed over him. Jack didn't move in his arms. He then looked up at Tooth. "Be more careful!" He called up.

"I'm so sorry!" Tooth gasped.

"Is he alright?" Bunny stepped forward.

"Well, he's breathing if that's what you're asking." North spoke over the heavy wind. "Not so sure about his health though."

"My fault... my fault..." Jack began to mutter again. North looked down at the teen in his arms with a confused expression. Once Tooth joined them, they watched Jack stir, but remain in this half-concious state.

The three guardians exchanged glances before turning to push home through the thick blizzard.

* * *

"My fault..."

Jack lay stretched out on the bed in North's idle room. Last time Jack laid in this bed, he had been attacked by wolves. But now, he lay still, unmoving and not planning on moving anytime soon.

Sandy had came on his own acord, unaware that Jack was here. He came to explain his dhilemma; he was usually good at sending good dreams in bad weather, but the blizzards were getting way out of hand, even for his dream sand. It was then that North told him about Jack, unresponsive and completely out of it. Sandy came into the room, looking at the half-concious teen in the bed muttering to himself and laying still. Sandy walked to the edge of the bed, his eyes widened with surprise.

"Maybe you could knock him out, Sandy. Give him a good rest. He's been making blizzards for a week and a half now." Bunny suggested, leaning against the wall by the door.

"It's probably wearing him out." Tooth murmmered, floating over to Sandy. "But why wouldn't he stop?"

"I don't know." North replied. "But giving him some rest would be a good idea. Maybe it'll even stop the blizzards for a while."

Sandy nodded, floating up to see Jack's face. He sprinkled a little dust on the muttering teen, and his voice grew silent, transitioning to deep breathing. Jack's eyes closed completely, and he fell into the peaceful rest he had been yearning for in days.


	9. A Test of Friendship

_Sequal to One Night's Rest. This one's even longer than the first one! XD I got really carried away with this, but I think you guys enjoyed the last one, so I won't apologize. It'll go back to a stand-alone drabble for a while until my brain explodes with a big idea like this. This is kind of the place for stories I come up with that are too short to be published on it's own. Anyway, I wrote this with one more idea from isthisparadise. So thanks! _

Cold.

Jack had never really felt cold before.

He never shivered, coughed, or felt any sense of being cold before. He _is_ cold. He created cold. His body worked as if it was especially made for cold weather.

It was weird. He was standing in a forest, snow coating the ground, and he was cold. He clutched his arms with his hands, shivering. Such an odd act; shivering. The body twitches to create warmth when people are cold.

Cold.

Freezing.

Darkness.

He hadn't been standing there for more than a minute when he noticed visible dark swirles tangling themselves in the roots and branches. Pitch. This was definitely the Nightmare king.

Sure enough, as Jack turned around, there stood the cloaked devil mere yards away. He wore an evil smile. "Jack."

Jack only stared.

"I heard you did something... terrible. I just had to come here and see for myself. Oh, you poor thing, you look exhausted." Pitch began to walk towards Jack, his nasty grin growing with each step.

He put a hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack looked away. "What did you do, young one?"

"Why are you here?" Jack spoke, a vitriolic tone on the edge of his tounge.

"Same as you, I suppose." Pitch answered without hesitation, turning his gaze to a faraway distance that Jack couldn't see. His voice was wistful. "Just a lonely soul looking for someone to speak with."

Jack clenched his fists. His energy was faint, and Pitch's sly words began to slip into his mind. "So tell me what you're holding back."

"I... I killed a boy."

Pitch drew away, pretending to be surprised. "No!" He gasped, putting a bony hand to his own chest. "Not even I have done something so vile... so... evil. To take the life of one so innocent! How did you stumble upon this scene?"

Jack had been holding it in for a week and a half, only venting through his blizzards. He couldn't say he was surprised by how easily the story slipped from his tounge, eager to be let out. "It was an accident. I was helping a few kids sled down the sidewalk, and one slipped into the road, and..." Jack winced, closing his eyes.

"So it was an accident." Pitch summed up, his expression wary.

"Of course it was!" The teen replied. "Why would I hurt someone on purpose?"

"But no, that's just it, Jack." Pitch put another bony hand on his shoulder, leaning close to his ear. "It may have been an accident, and the other Guardians may forgive you, but your actions will lead to your own downfall."

"Whatever you're trying to say, just spit it out!" Jack drew away from the shadow's hands.

"What I'm trying to say," Pitch said irritably, "is that even though the Guardians may believe it an accident, they may not trust you any longer. Such a wreckless spirit, uncontainable, and a danger to the children's health. Would they really trust you to play with the children? Let alone protect them."

Jack closed his eyes, ducking his head. His hands were empty. He felt vulnerable without his staff in his hand. He felt crushed. He couldn't believe this would ever come to his mind, but Pitch was... right. He couldn't stand to think of the Guardians untrusting to him. Well, that is how it was before he became a guardian.

Jack turned to the nightmare.

"Run, Jack. Don't speak of your accident, or you will only slip back into the invisible, unbelieved spirit like I. Your friends will no longer trust you, and you'll be untrusted to the world." Pitch came to his ear once again, his voice a low, dangerous whisper. "Run."

And so Jack ran.

But he can't run forever.

Even dreams have an end.

Endless running, to no avail.

Jack jerked awake.

His pale blue eyes snapped open, and his body lunged, as if snapping free of his imagination. The coldness was still there, making his body continue to shiver. But as reality slipped into his mind, the coldness faded. He gasped, breathing heavily from where he lay. He swallowed, his breaths coming shakily. Where was he?

He was not alone. In fact, as his eyes adjusted and he turned his head, he found all four guardians with their gazes on him.

"Jack!" Tooth exclaimed.

"Thank goodness." North whiped his brow, relif evident.

The guardians had brought him back to North's home. Jack found the strength to sit up, carefully eyeing the room that surrounded him. He'd rather have woken up to his lake, alone, with his thoughts. But no, he was stuck in a crowded room with little breathing space. The strength he had lost such a while ago had returned practically over night. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"You alright, mate?" Bunnymund asked, twirling a boomerang in his large paw.

"I... I'm fine... I just..." Jack trailed off.

"You've been in bad shape." North leaned on his bed. Sandy nodded and began to show pictures above his head, way too fast for Jack to understand. His mind was still half asleep, and even though he found his strength, he was still weak.

_Run, Jack._

Pitch's voice.

"You had blizzards going for the betta' part of a week and a half. What was that all about?" Bunny asked, concern in his eyes.

They cared so much it hurt Jack.

It hurt that he couldn't tell them what happened.

"I... I need to go." He stood up. That feeling... It was a feeling someone would get when they first woke up. Dizzy, spots in front of their eyes, and they would have to sit down. But Jack, having not stand up in a week and a half, found it extremely difficult to focus on the first few steps. He staggared, walking sideways until his shoulder found the wall. He leaned against it, waiting for the spots to dissapear. His legs felt weak under him.

"We've talked about this before, Jack." North stood up, trying to understand why Jack was trying to run off. "We're your friends, Jack. There's no shame in letting us take care of you."

Jack looked back at his friends once the spots had dissapeared. He knew what North was getting at. "I know. And I thank you, but this is something I need to handle on my own. I appreciate your help, I really do, but-"

"Jack, we think you're really sick." Tooth piped up. She caught his gaze. "When we found you, you weren't resoponding to anything. You only said 'my fault' over and over."

"Is something wrong Jack? What did you do that's... 'your fault'?" North asked.

"Nothing." Jack lied. "I was only dreaming." He explained. It came out so easily, so softly, that he almost believed himself. It scared him. He didn't know he was good at lying.

They all turned to Sandy, who just shrugged. He doesn't keep track of each dream. He glanced back ag Jack.

Jack turned his head away, his hands clenching into fists. The tears threatened him. Please not the tears. "Well, I'm fine now right? All I needed was sleep." He leaned off the wall, and made for the doorway. He spotted his staff leaning against the wall, and took it into his grasp. Already, holding the wooden artifact made him feel better. He left the room.

Sandy let out a determined expression, floating after the boy. He turned the corner, out of sight from the other guardians, and grabbed the edge of Jack's hoodie, pulling at it. Jack turned his head. Sandy motioned for the room, trying to get Jack to understand that he should stay.

But Jack gave Sandy a sad look and slowly shook his head. It was hard; he felt as if he were betraying them. But he didn't want to lose their trust. They were the only people that had ever put up with being his friend.

Except one.

Suddenly, Jack knew who he could talk to. He broke from Sandy's light grasp, and made for the exit. The Sandman watched him walk away, his expression sad. But he did not stop him.

* * *

"Jamie?"

A knock at the window alerted the boy, who was very much awake. Jack wouldn't have bothered if the boy had been sleeping. But Jamie rushed to the window to greet his friend. The teenage guardian stepped into the room, scanning the area even though he'd been in here a few times already.

"Hi Jack!" Jamie smiled, eyes bright with excitement. "What's up?"

Jack twirled his staff, prancing into the room, masking his depressed expression. "Just came to say hi."

Jamie frowned. "Were you lonely?"

"You ask that a lot." Jack admired, sitting on a chair in the room. "No."

Jamie studied him a moment before smiling again. "Well good. I was just finishing up my homework." He sat down in a little swivel chair, turning to face the desk lit by a single lamp.

"You still have school? During all these blizzards?" Jack asked, confused. He sat backwards in the chair, crossing his legs and holding his staff in front of him.

"Well, no. This was the homework assigned before the blizzards started. I just hadn't gotten around to doing it yet."

Jack let out a small laugh. It felt good to laugh. Though on the inside, his heart was a million pieces, struggling to pull themselves together. He looked over Jamie's shoulder. "What kind of homework are you doing?"

"English." Jamie answered without turning around. "But I'm almost done. Then we can hang out!"

"Yeah." Jack replied gently.

"Jamie! Did you clean your room yet?"

Jack froze. But it was only Jamie's mother. The guardian scanned the boy's room, finding it cluttered beyond repair. "Uhh..." Jamie scanned over his room, then winced. "Yes!"

"Okay. Thank you!" His mother replied back. It fell silent.

"Why did you lie?" Jack asked curiously.

He casted a guilty look. "My mom would kill me if I hadn't done it yet." Jamie responded. "I'll get to it after my homework."

"But if she comes in here before you do, you'll be in more trouble than just saying you didn't." Jack pointed out.

Jamie frowned, his gaze low. "I... You're right. I shouldn't have done that." He bit his lip. "I know it's a lot to ask for, but can you help me clean my room?"

"Sure, Jamie." Jack replied, standing up and scooping up a few toys. Jamie smiled, giving a silent thank you.

"Have you ever lied, Jack?"

At first, it caught Jack by surprise. He looked over at the boy, who was scooping up some of his clothes he had thrown on the ground. Jack kneeled to dump the toys into a basket. "Yes."

Jamie looked up at him as if he had caught on fire. His eyes shined from his desk light. "Really?"

"Well... everyone has at least once." Jack sat down, a stuffed bear in his hand. He looked into the beaded eyes.

"What happened?" Jamie asked. It took Jack a moment to realize he wanted to know what Jack had lied about.

"I don't know." Jack said truthfully, laying the stuffed animal in his lap.

"What do you mean? You haven't told the truth to the person you lied to?" Jamie crawled towards him, picking up a sweater he left on the ground.

Jack shook his head, glancing at him.

"Well, what are you afraid of?" Jamie questioned.

Jack was thankful Jamie wasn't asking for details. "I'm afraid they won't trust me anymore."

"I feel that way too after I lie." Jamie admitted, sitting down next to Jack and taking his stuffed bear. He picked it up by the bear's paws and let it dance on his own lap. "I feel a lot better after I tell the truth, though. You should tell them. Did you not do something either?"

"It's not what I didn't do." Jack replied, leaning back. He rested against the wall, stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets. "It's what I did."

"What did you do?"

If it were any other person, Jack would have turned his head away. But Jamie was a child. He didn't want to hurt his feelings. He just shook his head. Jamie smiled. "That's okay. You don't have to tell me." He said.

"Thanks." Jack glanced at the window. "Nice talk, but I think it's time I go. And don't lie."

Jamie laughed at the random statement. "I won't." He then looked at the window. With a sigh, he stood up. "Do you have to leave?"

"Yeah, sorry. I'll talk to you later." Jack patted his shoulder. Jamie smiled, waving as his friend departed.

Jack's heart was lifted after speaking with Jamie. He felt a lot better than he had in days. He took flight, looking back and watching Jamie at his window. They waved, and Jack left. He needed to tell the truth. But not right away.

* * *

Jack had returned to his own lake that night, deciding he needed rest. The blizzards had cleared, and the dark sky shone brightly under the moon. He curled up on a branch above the lake, and sleep was almost immediate.

"What are you doing?"

Pitch's sharp voice was the first thing he heard. Jack whirled around. He was standing in ultimate darkness, and his eyes could focus on nothing. Pitch's voice was loud though. "What do you mean?" Jack asked.

"As if you didn't know." Pitch practically growled. "You're going to tell the truth."

Jack, aware he was dreaming, suddenly wanted to wake up, even though he had just slipped into sleep. "Why do you care?" He spat, clenching his fists.

"Why would you get rid of the trust you have? You're walking on thin ice, boy. You're about to enter a test that you will fail." Pitch stepped into sight. Jack narrowed his eyes at him.

"It's not a test of trust. It's a test of friendship. If they were really my friends, they'd have my back no matter what." Jack backed away, running a hand through his white locks of hair. "And answer my question. Why do you care?"

Pitch's face became sorrowful, yet sinister and a tone of silent death. "You of all people know it's not easy to live invisible and alone."

Jack felt no pity. He turned away.

The dream had ended as soon as it began, though in reality, he slept for hours. Another blizzard had begun under Jack's distress and anger. He felt as if someone was nearby. He had strange confidence that this person was indeed, the Nightmare King. But Jack paid no attention. He merely turned and began his journey to North's home. But as he walked with new confidence and strength, he already knew of his friends and their forgiveness. There was no question about it. A lesson was taught to the teenager within these nights, of truth and carefulness. But one thing was left unspoken; the sadness of the Nightmare, who continued to roam the earth alone, as Jack had once been.


	10. Sleigh Paints and Egg Hunts

_This story is pretty dialog-free by the way. It was just something cute I wrote that didn't have a lot of oppritunity for conversations. Those tend to bore people, just to warn you._

_Let me get a few things straight real quick. I am not continuing from the last two drabbles, and I probably won't put up anymore very long drabbles. But listen, this next drabble takes place a long time later, after everyone's forgiven him, he got over his mistake, he's back to his usual pranking self, yadayadayada. So depression mode= off. Now on for some fun._

_Oh, and *cough*Theboydidn'tactuallydie*cough*_

_Requested by Robin-Is-Totally-Whelming_

It was surprisingly very easy to get through to the tiny elves. They were more gullible than a fish with bait. Jack crouched as low as he possibly could, but the elves were just way too short to make eye contact with. But that was fine, Jack didn't mind. As long as they listened closely. "You do it right and I'll give you this." Jack held up a bag filled with cookies. A sly grin on his face, he raised his hand and flicked the little bell on top of one of the elves and letting it chime. The two elves he spoke to grinned with excitement, and Jack could already tell this would be easy.

He shoed them off to do his bidding. They turned and collided into each other before jumping up and racing down the hallway. They paused at the end, crouched as if they were spies, and did little flips around the corner. Jack straightened up, letting out the laugh he had been holding in. Oh this would be fun.

He turned around and summoned two more elves aside when no one was looking. He crouched down to the two new elves and leaned against his staff. "Do you guys know where Bunnymund's warren is?"

One elf shook his head, the other nodded enthusiastically. "Good. I need you guys for a special mission." Jack smiled. The elves exchanged a glance, then looked up at Jack, as if asking 'what's in it for us?'

Jack held up the bag of cookies, holding back a laugh as the elves drooled with happiness for the small reward. He gave them specific instructions, hoping they had large enough brains to comprehend what he was saying.

The two elves saluted to the teenager, their eyes glued to the cookie bag. They then left the guardian, racing to the entrance to take off.

It took a while, but once they reached the area above Bunny's warren, they paused, suddenly worried about how they'd get in. Thankfully, Bunnymund was above the surface, kicking the ground to open up a hole. The elves came up behind him, waiting for him to leap inside so they could follow. They held their breaths so they wouldn't scream as they plummited into the warren after Bunny, who was seemingly unaware of the two intruders.

They tumbled into the warren, picking themselves up and scanning the area. Bunnymund had sprung away, but the 8-foot eggs that guarded the warren turned to their angry faces, walking towards the Elves with threatening causes.

The small red elves quickly put their fingers to their mouths and shushed them. The eggs paused and stared. The elves ran forward and whispered their plan quickly into the egg-guard's ears, and they hesitated. But as they did, the elves ran past them, farther into the warren.

Turning the corner, they found Bunnymund walking at a calm pace through his home. They snuck through, trying to keep quiet, and stepped towards the tiny eggs with the little feet.

The elves motioned for them to gather when Bunny wasn't looking. Getting on their knees, they began to lay out the plan.

Meanwhile, Jack ran after the first two elves he had spoken to. They turned and saluted at his sight. "Are North and the yetis occupied?" He asked.

They nodded in return.

"Well good. Show me where the sleigh is kept, then." Jack instructed, motioning with his staff. The elves exchanged a wary glance, suddenly thinking it might be a bad idea. The sleigh was very... important. What would a prankster like Frost want to do with it? Jack caught their worried gazes. "Aw, c'mon guys, lighten up." He reached into his hoodie pocket. "You want these right?" He lifted the plastic wrapped-cookies. The elves hesitated, their eyes sparkling at the prize, and then nodded. Jack put the cookies away and motioned for them to lead. The elves casted a 'this can't be good' look, and rushed down the corridors. Jack straightened up and followed them.

A few halls and doorways later, Jack found himself in the large room occupied by the large sleigh. Thanks to the small elves, the room was empty of yetis and other elves. Jack walked over and put his hand on the sleigh. "Awesome. Thanks guys."

One elf motioned with his hands, asking what Jack was going to do.

Jack laughed. He didn't answer their questions. He stepped away from the sleigh and stepped back into the corridor to wait for the other two elves he had recruited. The first two came back however, their arms lifted in silent pleading for the cookies.

"Hey, not until we finish."

They lowered their hands in defeat.

Jack hesitated, looking at their pleading eyes, and then sighed, pulling out the sack. "One each. You get the rest when we're done." He suggested, handing each of them a star-shaped cookie. They took it greedily and sat down on the floor, biting into their prize.

The warren was eggless.

Not exactly eggless, for many of the footed creatures still roamed, but as the elves exited with most of the walking eggs, it left the warren seemingly empty and selective of life.

Each egg held a pale of the paint they used to color themselves on easter, holding them by a string around their heads (Because they had no arms). They marched single file, following the elves to the exit. Bunnymund had gone to sleep farther off, and was unaware of this little organized escape.

"Hup! Hup! Hup!" The elves chanted to the eggs quietly, directing them out of the warren. The buckets they had swayed with each step, but not a drop of the paint splattered to the floor. The elves exchanged an excited glance. Cookies. It was all they could think about.

The journey wasn't very long. They made it to North's home and snuck inside without anyone looking in record time. All the elves and yetis were occupied, thanks to the other two elves Jack had hired. They marched through the corridors until they found Jack.

"Great job little guys." He praised, waving his staff and directing the eggs to the room where the sleigh was kept.

The elves eyed Jack, wanting the cookie sack. But he merely told them to wait. The eggs, one by one, stepped forward and threw a bucket of paint on the sled, turning it to a rainbow of bright colors. Jack snickered at each bucket, finding the sleigh looking more like a swirlpool of colors instead of the shiny red coat it once had. He leaned against the wall, laughing. This was going to be great.

"Great job guys." Jack dropped the sack to the ground. The hungry elves raced forward and dove into the cookie sack, drawing out the cookies and eating them on the floor. Jack casted a weary glance to the door. "Take the cookies somewhere else guys, we gotta get out of here first."

Bunnymund had awoken from his nap. He wearily stepped into the clearing, yawning. He took out a boomerang and twirled it in his hand, scanning over his home with confusion. Something was off.

A few eggs ran up to him, jumping up and down. "What is it, mates?" He asked, looking up. It was then he realized that these were the only eggs present in the warren. He stiffened, suddenly fully awake, and panic flashed. "Where is everyone?" He asked them. But of course, they couldn't answer. He crouched on all fours and raced across the warren, looking in any place they could be hiding. "If they're tryin' to play a trick on me, I swear..." He trailed off angrily. They weren't here. At all.

"I'll be back." He promised, patting the ground and opening a hole. Leaping inside, he decided to try North's home first. Popping up in the cold tundra, he shivered and bounded towards North's home with numb paws. He entered North's home while breathing hot air into his paws. "North?" He called. The whole place seemed empty of yetis and elves. Everyone was dissapearing? "North!"

"Bunny?" Santa stepped out of his workshop. The russian gave a plesant smile. "What I do for you?"

"Have you seen my eggs?" Bunny asked desperately, only to find North stopped listening. Instead, he scanned his own home, finding it lifeless.

"Where is..." He stopped. Four elves turned the corners, their hats jingling with each step. "What is it?" He asked, looking down. They pointed in the direction of where the sleigh was kept. North straightened up.

"What?" Bunny asked North.

"I, I don't know."

The elves tugged on his pants, pulling him in the direction they wanted him to go. He followed after a moment of hesitation.

When he and Bunny entered the sleigh room, North froze in the doorway, letting the door slam shut on it's own. "What the...?" He asked, taking sight of the multi-colored sleigh.

"That looks like my egg's paint!" Bunny let out angrily, flattening his ears.

North didn't reply. His fists clenched. "Did your eggs do this?" He finally answered.

"They only follow orders." Bunnymund answered.

"Then who gave them orders...?" North scanned the room. His eyebrows suddenly furrowed, and he stepped towards the sleigh. A small ice-pattern was carved on the side as if a certain teenage guardian had touched it. North's anger bundled up into one scream._ "Jack!" _


	11. Gifts of the Heart

_Requested by Cyric Nox_

Christmas was a big deal in the town Jack lived by. Of course, he guessed it was that way for any town or city. Jack didn't send a lot of snow during those days, mainly because it was dangerous for North. The children didn't come outside christmas day either, for they spent their time inside playing with their new presents. It was understandable though; Jack wouldn't be out and about if he had his own new presents.

Jack sat down in the middle of his ice lake, sitting criss-cross and drawing a small pattern with his finger. He let his doodle swirl around, growing as he lost himself in his thoughts. He didn't really want anything for christmas anyway. Nothing he wanted could come in wrapping paper.

Jack wished he had more memory of his christmas days back when he was a normal kid. That would be a christmas present he wouldn't refuse. He laid down on the sturdy ice and crossed his arms behind his neck, looking at the starry Christmas Eve sky.

So many holidays spent alone...

He closed his eyes, prepared for sleep. Moments went by in silence of his slumber, but he felt like he hadn't slept at all when he heard the familiar voice of his Russian friend.

"Elo Jack!"

Jack blinked awake and sat up. He turned around, finding North leaning against his parked sleigh at the edge of the lake. Jack smiled, trying to hold back a snicker as he looked at the sleigh's shiny new coat. "Get your sleigh re-painted?"

North gave a sarcastic laughter. Jack stood up and shrugged. He suddenly became suspicious that North was here to chew him out. He was prepared to brush it off. "Ah, c'mon, it was all in good fun." He said, leaning against his staff. He blinked innocently.

"I'm not here to lecture." North crossed his arms, giving a smile under his beard. Jack twirled his staff, watching the old man. "That's for another day."

"Oh?" Jack lifted his eyebrows in question.

"Two of my reigndeer are sick, and they're going to make the sleigh go somewhat slow." North stepped towards Jack, staying off the ice. "I came to ask if you'd like to come give me a hand with handing out presents this year."

Jack put his staff on his shoulders, stepping towards the gift giver. "Why me? Why not Bunny or Sandy?"

"Bunny doesn't like sleigh. Sandy has extra work to do tonight putting everyone to sleep tonight for me. And well, you know how busy Tooth is." Santa explained.

"True." Jack muttered, eyeing the sleigh with intrest. It surely beat staying here and doing nothing. He pretended to hesitate, trying to decide how to answer. "If it means a free sleigh ride, I'm in." Frost answered cooly, stepping toward the sleigh.

"That's the spirit!" North exclaimed with a grin, patting Jack's back as he crawled back inside the sleigh.

Jack leaped onto the wing of the sleigh, holding onto the side with one hand and holding his staff with another. He felt the sleigh jerk to life as the reigndeer began to race forward. North was right, it was a little slower as they took to the sky. Jack hung out on the wing, smiling with excitement. Everyone loves the sleigh, as North would always say.

They didn't go to the town by the lake first. Instead, they flew for quite a while until they came to a city. It was Santa's first stop, and as the sleigh slowed down for a landing, Jack leaped off before it came to a full stop. He stepped foot on a snow-coated building, and North stepped off once the sleigh came to a complete stop.

Jack studied the rooftops, leaning side to side as he twirled his staff. He turned to Santa, who suddenly dropped a bag in Jack's arms, causing him to grunt and lean over to sustain the weight. Jack steadied himself, looking back up at North. "You take houses to west, I'll take houses to east." North said. "You'll know which present belongs to which family."

"Uh, alright." Jack turned his head and scanned the direction he would be taking.

"Meet back here when you are finished. And hurry, there's no time to waste." And with that, North was off, leaping into the chimney of the roof they stood on. Jack stared at the chimney for a moment before turning and taking off in his own direction.

Leaping to the next rooftop by flight, he paused and peered into the chimney. He hesitated before crawling over the side and slipping inside.

He coughed as he kicked up soot. He stepped into the livingroom and looked up, finding a child fast asleep on a couch. Dreamsand danced above her head, making Jack relax. He opened the bag, reaching inside. How on earth could he possibly know which present belonged to which person? But as Jack studied each box in the bag, he realized one present seemed to have a different air to it, a sort of invisible glow. He picked up the box and studied the tag. _Merry Christmas! To: Kelsey, From: Santa Claus_

Jack looked up at the girl again, giving a small smile. He crept across the living room and slipped the present under the tree. He then realized he should probably hurry up, for North was probably halfway done with his half.

Jack stepped towards the chimney, then smiled at the child. There was a reason he loved children. It made his heart feel large with happiness at the peace of a child. "Merry Christmas, Kelsey." He muttered, turning and slipping into the fireplace.

Leaping from roof to roof, he would slip inside, put their present under their tree, and then slip away muttering "Merry Christmas" to each child. North was right, this was a lot better than staying by the lake alone. He returned to the sleigh in record time, even though he already found North leaning against the polished sleigh.

"You took your time." The russian observed with a smile.

"Sorry. All the cookies and milk gave me a bellyache." Jack replied sarcastically.

North laughed, getting into the sleigh. Jack hopped inside this time, laying down and folding his hands behind his neck. Unfortunately, the next town came quickly. This time, they were in and out of the homes quickly, as if it were a race.

Towns and cities flew by, each child found with dream sand above their heads and a present just for them. Jack enjoyed every moment of it, smiling at each slumbering child with a happy heart.

There was one town in particular that Jack hadn't noticed. North pulled him by the hood before he could take off. "What?" Jack asked.

"How about you take this building real fast?" North asked, handing Jack a large present wrapped in golden wrapping paper. He looked down at the gift, then up at North.

"Uh, alright." He shrugged. He stepped towards the chimney and slipped inside without hesitation this time. Only then did he realize where he was.

This was Jamie's house.

Jack gave a small excited smile, spotting the boy and his sister on the couch, fast asleep. Jamie stirred a moment, but his head sunk back into the cushion. The teenage guardian slipped Jamie's present under his tree before straightening up and leaning against his staff. "Merry christmas, guys." He whispered softy. Jamie stirred again, but he was deep in his dream.

Jack slipped out of the house to find North had already left to his own side of town. Jack grinned as he picked up the sack and roofjumped to the other houses.

Once he returned to the sleigh, he slipped into the back and let North take the sleigh to the sky. "So where to now?" Jack asked, his eyes closed with relaxation.

"Now, we go home." North chuckled.

"Home? Really? We went through every home?"

"Of course we have. We've been at this for 24 hours, keeping up with the dark side of the world."

Jack opened his eyes. They'd been doing it for that long? "Time just flew by." He muttered, sitting up. The cold night air blasted against his face, his white locks of hair flickering different directions. The stars flew by in a blur.

"Well, you were enjoying yourself. You couldn't have known." North replied through the wind. "Oh!" He suddenly exclaimed, reaching down and grabbing something. He tossed it back to Jack, who caught it with his hands and looked at it. "Merry christmas!" North grinned.

"You... got me a present?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Of course!" North smiled. "Just a little something special."

Jack didn't know what on earth North could have gotten him. He studied the present in his hands before gently tearing the wrapping paper off. North glanced back every few moments, a grin on his face. "Well open it! It's not going to break." The russian sarcastically replied.

Jack found in his hands a shoebox. He weighed it, finding it pretty heavy, and flipped a thumb under the lid. He slipped it off, and he stared for a few moments in questioning silence.

Ice skates?

Small ice skates.

Jack picked up one of the shoes, putting the box on the floor of the sleigh. He turned it, scanning it with utter confusion.

Click.

Pippa.

His sister.

These were his sister's ice skates.

His eyes widened, and he dropped the iceskate to the floor. "You like it?" North grinned.

"I... how did you... what...?" Jack could only mutter empty words, his memories flooding back into his mind. His brain shut off.

"Tooth told us about your past quite a while ago. We thought it'd be special to get you something to remember her by." North's beard moved with his laughing. Jack could only sit there, dumbfounded.

"I... I just... thank you..." Jack muttered, picking Pippa's skate up again. "I won't even ask how you found them."

North laughed. "Might be a smart idea not to." He admitted, turning his focus to control his reigndeer.

_Pippa._

Jack closed his eyes.

_Merry Christmas._


	12. Easter Apology

_Requested by Galimatias_

Jack never knew how hard it could possibly be to succesfully paint an easter egg. He twirled the paintbrush in his hand while he studied the ugly pattern. The egg looked as if it was painted by a six-year-old who got ahold of a paintball gun.

For a moment, he considered defeat. How come when he tried to do something nice, it never worked? He stared at the horrid marks he painted on the egg shell.

He picked up the brush, now coated in blue paint, and bit his tounge as he tried to fix his horrid creation. The addition did nothing but worsen the paint. Growing frustrated, he stood up and and tossed the egg over the lake. It bounced in the snow, burying itself into the mound.

Jack picked up another egg. This was his fourth egg now. How was he expected to make something so beautiful? He was all white and ice, and this was just so... colorful. He dabbed the paintbrush in the green paint.

He had taken the egg paint and paintbrushes from Bunnymund's warren earlier. It hadn't been that hard of a task at all. The real difficulty was actually painting the egg.

And all this because he wanted to apologize.

Jack was near giving up when he had his fourth egg turning out hideous. He dabbed it with blue, growing angry with each unfortunate stroke. Paint dripped into the snow under him. He chucked the egg into the snow. Last egg.

He picked it up and stared at it. "You better not turn out like your friends." He threatened the inanimate object. He picked up the brush. But before he stroked the egg, he got an idea.

He leaned over and picked up his staff. He smiled devilishly, as if he were about to murder the egg. But instead, he tapped the bottom of the egg with his staff.

A beautiful pattern of ice began to decorate the egg. He watched as the blanket of ice covered up the white shell, encasing it inside. Jack breathed on it to give it a small glow. Perfect.

Leaving the paint and failure eggs, he raced forward and took off into the air. It didn't take long to get to Bunnymund's warren; or at least, the grounds above it. He stepped foot in the australian grasses, getting onto his knees and putting his ear to the ground. "Bunny...!" He called. "Hello...!"

He stood back up, surveying the ground with careful eyes. How did Bunnymund do it? Oh yes. Jack tapped his foot on the ground, half-expecting the ground to cave in under him. But nothing happened. He walked around a second, trying to figure out how to get to him. "Hey Bunny," He muttered, "you think you could let me-" Jack's sentence was cut off. The ground sunk in under his feet, swallowing him whole. The egg loosened itself from his grasp, and he scrambled to grab it.

He let out a grunt as he landed butt-first. He looked up where he had fallen from to see the iced egg hurtling towards him. He reached his hands out and grabbed it, burying it in his arms and closing his eyes. Jack took a second before opening his eyes, finding Bunnymund and two giant eggs standing before him.

"Why are you here, Jack?" Bunnmund crossed his arms, his look nothing short of irritation.

_I crushed it. I so crushed it. _Jack thought, silently wincing. He released his arms, finding the egg still in-tact. He breath released, and he held the egg out to Bunnymund, much like a child who was offering something they made to their parents.

Bunny eyed it for a second, hesitating. "You made that?"

Jack nodded enthusiastically.

"Don't think for one second I'll believe you made that without involving some kind of prank, Frost." Bunnymund sneered.

Jack stood up. "No, no! It's not a prank. It's um... something I made to apologize."

Bunnymund's ears flicked. "Apologize? For what?"

"Year of '68, Easter Sunday?" Jack admitted shyly.

Bunnymund, a little taken back, looked from Jack to the colorless egg. Even though it didn't have a rainbow painted on it, the pattern was delicate, and made the egg look beautiful. Bunny eyed Jack one more time, half-expecting it to still be a prank. But Jack did nothing but smile. The pooka hesitantly reached forward and took the egg from Jack's hands. He held it in his fuzzy paws, and a small smile grew on his face. He raised his gaze to Jack's hopeful expression.

Jack's expression dissipated into a smile as Bunnymund tucked the egg into the strap around his shoulder. "Apology accepted, mate."

_Thank you for the requests guys! I now have more ideas ;D Thank you for the... *Checks stats* HOLY FRIED CHICKEN. YOU GUYS... I LOVE YOU. *frames stats*_


	13. Dedication

_Dedicated to those who lost their lives in the conneticut shooting today (Friday, 12-14-12)._

_I really struggled through writing this, so I'm sorry if it seems messy and unreadable._

School had already begun this morning when Jack had begun to send light snow flurries across the areas. He waved his staff in graceful motions, scanning the empty streets. Too bad there were no children to play with. But he couldn't keep them out of school every day. He waltzed across the clouds, watching the schools from far above. He'd have to wait for the children to finish their day of studies before he could have fun. And adults weren't that fond of excitement anymore.

He smiled, folding his hands behind his neck as he floated. Well, there'd be a fresh coat of snow once the children came outside. They could begin the fun quickly. Hey, christmas break was right around the corner! Excitement flooded through him, always loving the two weeks of almost non-stop play he got with them.

He went ahead, going from school to school and sending a light flurry of snow to get the children excited for after school. He began to stop on each school roof and spread a few frost patterns on the windows. He spotted a few children looking out the windows and smile.

School after school, he pranced from roof to roof, spreading a little snow here and there to start the ground off. He stopped on one of the roofs, touching the edge of the windows with his staff to frost them. The sky had dark clouds overhead, and he helped a few snowflakes fall to the ground.

Loud bangs.

Jack crouched by reflex, his eyes widening at the sudden noise. After a second of getting control of himself, he jumped off the roof and landed in the thin layer of snow. These weren't just bangs...

_Gunshots...?_

Jack began to follow the sound, eyes wide with horror. Why on earth would there be gunshots here? This was an elementary school! He stopped at a window, putting his hand on the cold glass and looking inside.

Blood. And lots of it. It painted the room and painted the bodies on the ground. Bodies...! Children. About thirty children, laying on the carpet soaked in their own blood. In addition, a female teacher lay among them. Jack put his hand on his mouth and looked away, his stomache churning. A handful of children he loved and protected, dead within the same moment.

More gunshots drew his attention. He raced away from the window and made his way to the front of the school. Slipping inside, he made his way down the hallways in pursuit of the killer. Where to begin to look! He crossed a corridor and slipped through a doorway, now finding himself in a gym. In the corner, students huddled together, crying and sobbing next to their gym teachers. Jack turned his head. He'd make sure these students won't get hurt. He walked out of the door, his face serious, and held his staff at ready. The gunshots had ceased for the moment, so he began to slowly walk forward.

The children in the gym had to get somewhere safer. The principal's office, perhaps. He slipped back into the gym, trying to decide how to tell the gym teachers. Jack waved his hands, directing the air conditioning units to blow in the direction of the door. He then tapped it with his finger, making the window on the door begin to coat itself in frost.

After a few moments, the gym teachers stood up to direct the children out. Jack wondered if it was his doing, or the gym teacher's own idea. Nonetheless, he walked ten steps ahead of them, his staff at ready.

The children, crying and bawling, slid into the principal's office. Jack scanned the area, making surethe killer wasn't here. The children huddled in the principal's office, with Jack at guard at the door.

They were like this for many moments. Jack did not hear anymore gunshots, but remained at alert. The killer obviously wouldn't see him if he came by, but Jack could do everything in his power to direct him away.

Sirens wailed outside the front doors. Police raided the building, taking hallways and beginning a search for the armed man. A policeman entered the principal's office, telling the students to run outside. Jack stepped back to let the children flee, watching with a sigh of relif as they raced into the open. He followed, his eyes flickering left and right as he tried to find the killer. Thankfully, he was not in Jack's sight.

The air was cold from his snowflakes and wind when he stepped outside. He made his way to the small group of children. He paused, watching as a dark shadow began to circle around the young lives.

"Get lost, Pitch." Jack sneered, raising his staff. "These children have already been through enough."

"But their fear remains, Jack." Pitch replied, waving his hand to them. Jack shot a blast of ice at the nightmare, but he merely side-stepped.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "A lot of children are afraid. But it won't last."

The teen crouched down in front of the kids. An image of the dead children flashed in his mind, and he silently winced. "Shhh, it's going to be fine." He tried to soothe the crying children. Above his head, a light snowfall began, shimmering and shining in the morning sunlight. Each snowflake twisted and turned in the breeze, making the sky bright with sparkles. "Everything is going to be alright..."


	14. Snowball Fights

**This was requested by someone, but I totally forgot who. Sorry! And I am taking request again, by the way. I'm sorry if I don't do a request, but I can't exactly find inspiration to make a story out of every idea. Just keep trying with new ideas if I don't end up doing your request! :)**

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It was a cold January afternoon for the children who left the schoolyards. They raced home with smiles and laughter, their feet sinking in the snow at each step. Two children ran together, a boy about the age of fifteen holding the hand of his six-year-old sister.

Jack Frost watched from the roof of the school, looking on to the two children he knew so well. Jamie was growing up. Sophie was as well, but she was still a young child. The teenager dangled his legs from the roof as he watched the two, his mind drifting. A large part of him doubted Jamie ever forgot him. Once reaching a certain age, children tend to shake off the belif of the guardians and other magical beings. But Jamie was certainly different.

And so, Jack stood up and let the wind take him after the two. He spread a snowfall as he flew, smiling like a child. A few of the kids looked to the sky and gave excited cries at the snow. One or two of the younger kids raised their heads and spotted him, and he smiled. The number of children who put their faith in his existence slowly grew. It would take time.

He flew to the skies above Jamie and Sophie. The six-year-old raised her head and pointed. "Look, it's Jack!" She yelled out. Jamie lifted his head.

"Jack!" Jamie grinned, raising his free hand and waving. Jack felt happiness nip at his heart. Jamie still believed. With a woosh, Jack swam through the skies, shedding snowflakes over the children as here came down towards them and planted his feet in the snow.

"Hey! Been a while, huh?" Jack twirled his staff.

"I wish I could see you year round!" Sophie spoke up, motioning with her small hands.

Jack gave a sad smile. "I know. But I'm not allowed in these parts during the summer months."

Jamie gave a sheepish smile. He wished he could see Jack all year round as well, though he knew the town would be miserable with snow every day through summer months. He shrugged it aside and grinned. "I'm glad your here now, though! We can have some fun, like old times!" He smiled, his hand still grasping his little sister's.

"Yep!" Jack agreed with a smile, waving his staff and pulling himself into the air once more. He scooped up a snowball and threw it at Jamie, who took a step back and laughed. Releasing his little sister's hand, he scooped up his own snowball and threw it at Jack.

Sophie giggled and raced towards a mound of snow, picking up a handful of snow and awkwardly throwing it without balling it up first. It shattered before it hit Jack, and the teen paused and walked over to her. "Here." He offered, crouching down to her eyelevel. He took her wrist gently and helped her pick up a mound of snow. "Now rub your gloves around it like this." He picked up his own mound of snow and balled it up in his hands, smiling. Sophie copied his movements, forming a somewhat solid mass to throw. "There you go!" He grinned.

"Thanks Jack!" She smiled, pulling her arm back and throwing the snowball at his face. It splattered, making Jamie and Sophie break out into laughter. Jack whipped the snow from his face with a playful grin and twirled his staff, creating a dozen snowballs at once and letting them fly towards his friends. They let out yells of excitement before tumbling backwards in the snow.

Jack laughed and flew upwards, grabbing a tree branch and swinging from his arms. Jamie sat up, balling a handful of snow and aiming it at the teen, who stayed put so Jamie would hit him. It broke apart on contact with Jack's chest, and the Guardian let out a laugh of excitement. He shook the branch he held on to, making a pile of snow slide off the evergreen leaves and fall over Jamie, half burying him in the snow already accumulated on the ground. Sophie let out a laugh, pointing and giggling with her messy blonde hair swirling with each movement. Jack tossed a small snowball towards her, letting it hit her shoulder. She laughed and made a new snowball, feebly throwing it at the guardian.

Jack let it hit him, and let go of the branch, landing in the mound of snow under him. The snowball fight continued in a rigorous activity, laughter echoing with each toss and break.

"Jack!" Jamie called out with a smile after a few minutes, making the teenage guardian turn around. "My mom wants us to be home soon." He explained with a small frown. In other words, they had to say goodbye. Jack frowned, putting his hand in his hoodie pocket.

Sophie frowned in return. "But Jamie!"

"Remember last time we were late, Sophie?" Jamie frowned, though it was obvious he wanted to stay. He raised his head to the Guardian. "Jack will be here all season to play with us, right Jack?" He asked, half expecting a yes, and half hoping for one.

"Yeah, of course." Jack answered with a smile.

"Thanks again for the snowball fight." Jamie thanked, holding his sister's hand once again.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?" He asked, twirling his staff with one hand and retreating his other hand into his hoodie pocket.

Jamie frowned, his eyes looking at the sparkling snow under his feet. "Because... I'm growing up. I wasn't sure if I can keep believing in you. Even my friend's have already begun to lose their belief in you and the other guardians." Jamie blinked, looking back up at Jack. "I was afraid I really had stopped believing, and I just told myself I did to keep the memory alive for Sophie."

Jack frowned, but gave Jamie a pat on the shoulder. "You were the first to believe in me. I don't think your belief will break so easily." He assured, growing a small smile. Sophie began to grow impatient, pacing in her spot.

Jamie gave a small smile in return, feeling his arm beginning to tug from his little sister. "See you tomorrow?" Jamie asked hopefully, smiling with the child-like excitement he once had.

"Tomorrow it is." Jack agreed, giving a smile as he twirled his staff, picking up the breeze towards Jamie's home. Jamie finally gave in to Sophie's tugging, following her home with a fast pace. Jack stood there, watching his first believers as they went home with a small smile. "See you tomorrow." He promised.


End file.
